1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a portable and compact device for magnetizing and demagnetizing tools and other objects.
2. Background Art
Mechanics and other repair and service persons often have a need to be able to conveniently magnetize or demagnetize the ferrous metal portions of tools or other items. For example, when working with electrical devices, the shaft of a screwdriver frequently becomes magnetized, which can be an inconvenient state when the screwdriver is inappropriately drawn toward or sticks to surfaces or small objects. It is obviously desirable to have a convenient means to demagnetize the screwdriver. In another context, it may be desirable to make the screwdriver itself magnetic, for example to sink ferrous screws into a recessed location where they cannot be conveniently held until the threads can be sunk an adequate distance to hold the screw in alignment. It is known in the art that immersion of ferrous objects in a magnetic field can be advantageously used to magnetize or demagnetize the objects, and prior art devices do exist for the purpose of magnetization and demagnetization also called degaussing. However, such devices are typically too cumbersome to be carried around in an ordinary tool kit, and often do not have flexible configurations.